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Published: September 18th 2012
Kids 'trying' to get comfortable...
both sailing okay but late nights taking a toll...good travellers though! Big one would be quite happy doing what he's doing in the picture for 10 days - not gonna happen fella!Had breakfast in the Island Restaurant and again the food was very good. Good array of fresh fruit is always available.
Kids have both made friends at Fun Factory so dumped us again and went to play. We did what you do on cruise ships and just wandered the top deck. Further off shore now but spectacular views down the coast line and still tracking north on the Canada or BC coast. Sea very flat and clear blue skies, just a little breezey when out of shelter. There is a bar or lounge at the front of the ship that offers a stunning 180 degree view ahead and alongside with comfortable armchairs that just make it difficult to move on.
Collected the kids for lunch and they came back to read with us at the front lounge before eating. Had lunch on the open deck at the rear of the ship which was fairly sheltered and again great views. Can see a second cruise ship tracking parallel but further out. Looks to be considerably bigger.
At 2pm kids went back to their new home away from home and we sorted out some booking details for the things we have
Soaking it all up..
Hemisphere lounge has 180 degree views forward and alongside. Spectacular!! planned for Juneau, Sitka and Icy Straits.
3pm, now reading like a timetable, we joined the kids for Family Bingo in one of the card rooms. The hosts looking after the kids are predominantly South American so Family Bingo is actually Far-mar-lee Be-in-go. To make it worse, if you or your child wins your family has to do the Be-in-go Da-n-sir. I don't dance and I especially don't Be-in-go Da-n-sir and we were tracking nicely losing everything until the very last game...Caitlin and I won and the whole Far-mar-lee did the Be-in-go Da-n-sir. It was not a proud moment and Reubs had suddenly forgotten who his Far-mar-lee was and claimed to be brothers with his new Australian mate. Got a respect that a little. Anyway Caitlin was thrilled and won a trinket to further remember her trip aboard the Celebrity Century.
We offered the kids the chance to come with us but Caitlin wanted to go on to do cup cake making and Reuben and the other boys tacked along. Sandy and I went to Cova Cafe to wash away the shame of the Be-in-go Da-n-sir and again they forced these damn pastries on us. But only two -
The wake behind...
...nothing special about it. Just what you saw everyday whenever passing the back of the ship! each, and they are very small. We were just planning our schedule for tomorrow when we get into Sitka and Sandy was looking at a brochure of a hump back whale diving, the tail spread as it went nose down into the deep. Sandy commented wistfully (just not a word you get to use that often) that she hoped we would see that. And we did, within 2 minutes sitting right there in the Cafe looking out towards the BC coastline, a whale surfaced around 150 metres off the side, blew a spout, and did the elegant dive, tail splayed as it sank gracefully beneath the surface. Just awesome. Kept our eyes peeled and saw 3 or 4 more further out on the surface blowing spouts so moved up on to the top deck. Over the course of the next hour there were whales almost constantly. On one occasion could see 4 spouts at the same moment. Most were a fair way off but occasionally there would be one or two closer to the ship.
Got a couple of really bad photos of a younger whale as it dove. The sea was almost a sheet of glass and was
Seemed pretty amazing at the time...
...despite being a long way off, it was still amazing to see whales while just sailing...very cool, beautiful day, calm seas.... in full sunlight. Now you see them, now you don't. As quickly as they had appeared, they were gone again - but it was a great hour. Later in the afternoon saw two pods of either porpoises or dolphins close alongside but heading in the other direction. One was a pod of only 5 or 6 and these looked different to dolphins, seemed much smaller, but don't really know what they were. The second was hardly a pod, (how many do you need to make a pod) just 2 or 3 it seemed and these did look like dolphins.
Had a latish dinner, again, take it as read, it was really good. Went less formal at the buffet tonight and the range was great. Included sushi (made in front of you), roast, salads, stir fries (design your own), pastas, soups, Asian range, Italian range....and fresh fruit...and pastries.
Big formal night so the men folk got dragged by the women to the show at 8.30. Champagne and chocolate as you enter (just in case you'd missed the pastries I suppose). The theatre seats about a 1,000 or so and is very plush and very well set out. Show commenced
Home for 10 days...
...and very comfortable it was. A little bigger than we had anticipated. with the Greek skipper introducing his senior staff (very formal) and extending yet another welcome aboard along with a brief history of the ship and a bit of a Celebrity line marketing play. The 'Cruise Director' kind of reminds me of a used car salesman but much classier. He has this voice that screams narrating world war II documentaries...or the opening credits of 'Days of our Lives'. Loves his work, doesn't seem at all pompous and knows how to work the predominantly American post 60 age bracket. Mid 40's cynical Kiwis, not so much, but I guess we are a boutique demographic in this setting.
The appeal of the show itself varied on who amongst the family was viewing it. I thought it was quite well done, if just a little long and again targeted at that specific demographic (Neil Diamond's 'Coming to America' kinds of gives you a clue) but they did have a segment with some acrobat / dancers swinging on a metal ring from the ceiling which was quite impressive.
Sandy thought it was really good and the vocalists did have good voices.
Princess Caitlin was just enthralled and sat transfixed for the entire performance, occasionally leaning across to tell me that a particular move was one they practiced at her dance classes.
Reuben was bored out of his skull and I think was trying to sharp objects to slash his wrists.
Much better than I had anticipated to be fair, not that keen to catch a repeat performance although Sandy and Caitlin would be I'm sure. So, show done, kids in bed
at 10pm and the end of another very good day. Tomorrow is Sitka where, all things going to schedule, we will go out looking for Sea Otters, Whales and Bears...hopefully will get to see at least some of these.
**also published in Sitka but no time for photos as gotta go and try and find some sea otters...
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The Swampies
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A pastry a pastry my kingdom for a pastry
Sounds like Hell!!! Whatever happened to staying in a cabin and fighting off the fleas?? Yeah right. The only problem with mentioning Gilligan and the skipper is...does that make you Professor and Maryanne or Mr and Mrs Thurston Howell the third?? Sounds like your all having a great time and the kids seem to have taken to the life of luxury..Gonna be a hard act to follow back in good ole NZ. By the way the tail flukes you keep seeing probably arent whales..Due to all the pastry eating that goes on most people on the boat have probably fallen over the side and just look like whales flapping about in the surf. Keep up the blog its great mate.